Something Has Gone Wrong

On 12 October 1984, an IRA bomb exploded inside Brighton's Grand Hotel, killing five people and injuring thirty. It was an assassination attempt on Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet, who were staying there for the Conservative party conference. While the bombing was deplorable, the story of how people reacted to it is an inspiring one. People refused to be beaten by what had happened; they got on with their jobs and their lives - a theme with, sadly, a strong resonance in present-day Britain. In Something Has Gone Wrong, Brighton journalist Steve Ramsey speaks to those who were there on the day and involved in its aftermath, many of whom have never spoken publicly about it before. His interviewees include: firemen who worked on the long rescue operation; medics from the local hospital; police officers who rushed to the scene; detectives who played key roles in the criminal investigation; and cabinet ministers and high-ranking civil servants, who describe how the conference continued and how the government pursued business as usual. Incorporating fascinating new insights and information, the author has produced a portrait of this shocking event which combines narrative clarity with the vividness of oral history, and reads like a thriller.

Steve Ramsey is a journalist, writer and interviewer based in Brighton. His work on the Brighton bombing story began in 2015, as a history article for Viva Brighton magazine, for which he is deputy editor.